Low and middle income earners and business emerged as the big winners in the 2021/22 Federal Budget, handed down by Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, on May 11, according to Senator Jim Molan.
Thousands of residents will benefit from tax cuts for low and middle-income earners, which will see savings of up to $1,080 for individuals and $2,160 for couples, said Senator for NSW and Duty Senator for Dobell, Jim Molan.
“Tax incentives for businesses will allow them to write off the full value of any eligible asset they purchase, and the extension for another year of the loss carry back measure to support cash flow will help businesses invest more in the local economy and create local jobs,” Molan said.
He said another boost was the extended and expanded JobTrainer Fund, which had already seen 1,785 new places for apprentices in Dobell and 1,815 in Shortland electorate.
The Budget also includes more money for higher education short courses, more places in indigenous girls’ academies, and scholarships and programs to help women into non-traditional trades.
“Hospitals, schools, aged care, Medicare, mental health and disability support services will always be guaranteed under the Morrison Government,” Molan said.
“There is more investment in respiratory clinics, pathology testing and tracing, as well as the continuation of telehealth services.”
Across Dobell and Shortland there has been 823,418 telehealth consultations through Medicare since the start of the Covid pandemic and these services are now being extended.
“The Morrison Government has a commitment to fund every medicine on the PBS recommended by the medical experts, putting lifesaving treatments within the reach of every Australian,” Molan said.
“In this Budget, we are listing more medicines to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, osteoporosis, migraine, eczema and asthma.”
Funding for public schools in Dobell continues to increase as part of the Quality Schools Package, together with increased funding for preschools, and more affordable childcare will directly benefit more than 1,400 families living in Dobell and about the same in Shortland, Senator Molan said.
Childcare subsidies will increase for families with more than one child aged five and under in childcare and the $10,560 cap on the Child Care Subsidy will be abolished.
For those families with more than one child aged five and under in childcare, the level of subsidy will increase by 30 percentage points to a maximum subsidy of 95 percent for their second and subsequent children.
“The Budget delivers a record investment in aged care to help seniors,” Molan said.
“This investment will deliver more home care places, more funding for residential aged care and increases the amount of time that residents are cared for while strengthening regulators to monitor and enforce the standards of care.”
Even though the Budget is investing $3.8B across NSW for major road and rail projects, road safety and community infrastructure programs, Molan did not name any specific projects for either Dobell or Shortland.
Sue Murray